Share

How to Suffer Less Pain at the Pump

The rising price of gasoline -- an unavoidable expense for many -- is a worrisome fact of life that can send your blood pressure up right along with those price hikes.

And ongoing turmoil in the Middle East could push gas prices up further to over $4 a gallon in some parts of the country, experts say.

Those price increases are also being fueled by an improving economy, Patrick DeHann, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com, tells WalletPop. "More people are working and taking vacations," he says. And "When the economy is doing better, there is more of a demand for gas."
Don't despair. We've outlined some simple ways to trim your gas bill to help cushion the blow from pain at the pump.

Tap Small Stations, Early Week Fill Ups for Savings

Knowing where and when to buy gas can help trim your bill.

Contrary to common knowledge, your local, independent gas station is likely a cheaper option than the big suppliers. "Branded outlets like BP, Shell and Exxon Mobil tend to be priced higher," DeHann says.

The large gas companies are required to purchase a particular type of gas to meet contract requirements, "and many times that's more expensive. The difference in price can be anywhere from the same price to 5 cents to 10 cents cheaper a gallon," he says. While not a huge number, "it's enough to make a difference."

You also should consider filling up on gas at the beginning of the week, such as on a Monday or Tuesday.

That's because the Department of Energy releases a weekly report on Wednesday, and when the news is sour, "gas prices tend to rise," which impacts prices on Thursday and Friday, DeHann says. So filing up your tank early in the week can save you a few pennies a gallon.

If you're a smart-phone owner, tap free apps from GasBuddy.com and Cheap Gas that guide you to where to buy the least-expensive gas in your area.

"Consumers should use regular unless they have a luxury or high performance car that requires premium," Michael Omotoso, an analyst with J.D. Power & Associates, told WalletPop.

Also, don't waste your money on mid-grade gas, which can range from 5 cents to 10 cents more per gallon than regular gas in some states, he says. "Mid-grade is so close to regular in terms of octane level that it hardly makes a difference."

Driving Style, Car Maintenance Equals Gas Savings

How you drive, as well as how you maintain your car, can also keep your gas bill down.

Many cars have tire pressure monitoring systems that will alert drivers when their pressure is low, but some people ignore those warnings, a costly mistake, Omotoso says.

Indeed, keeping tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3%, or save you up to 10 cents per gallon of gas, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. (The correct tire pressure for your particular vehicle can typically be found on a sticker on the driver's side or in your car owner's manual.)

Fixing a car that has failed an emissions test and is out of tune can also improve its gas mileage by about 4%, which translates into 14 cents a gallon in gas savings.

In addition, defensive -- versus offensive -- driving can save you some gas money. Aggressive driving -- speeding, rapid acceleration and braking -- wastes gas, can lower your mileage by about 33% on the highway and by about 5% in town, and can cost you from 18 cents to $1.16 per gallon of gas, according to the Department of Energy.

Planning, Combining Trips

It might seem obvious, but try cutting down on driving to save on gas.

If you're commuting to work, consider participating in carpools and ride-share programs, which can chop your weekly fuel costs in half, the Department of Energy says.

Are you are in the market for a car and considering a fuel-efficient hybrid, which uses both gas and electric power, or a diesel, which use diesel fuel?

If saving money on gas is why you're considering a hybrid, which on average sells for about $6,500 more than a gas-powered car (according to J.D. Power & Associates), you need to first compare the extra cost of the vehicle to what you'll reap in gas savings over time.

According to Omotoso, a Ford Fusion hybrid -- which costs $4,600 more than a standard Fusion with a four-cylinder engine -- is rated at 36 miles per gallon compared to 25 miles per gallon for the non-hybrid.

Driving 12,000 miles per year (the average mileage of a typical driver in the U.S.) with the Ford hybrid, assuming that gas is $3.50 per gallon, would cost you about $1,167 in annual fuel costs.

With the regular Fusion, you'll spend about $1,680 for a year's worth of gas--$513 more than the hybrid.

But will your gas savings cover the $4,600 more you've paid for the hybrid over five years -- the average length of time drivers own a car? With the Ford Hybrid, you'll save about $2,565 at the pump over five years, but the cost of the hybrid still exceeds your gas savings over that period by $2,000, Omotoso says.

It's up to you to decide "if paying the hybrid price premium is worth it to you in terms of image and the feel-good factor" of owning a fuel-efficient car, he says.

Diesel cars are not as common in the U.S. and tend to be less expensive than hybrids, although they cost between $1,000 to $4,000 more than gas-powered cars, Otomoso says.

A Diesel Jetta is rated at 34 miles per gallon, compared to 25 miles per gallon for a standard Jetta. You'll save $410 a year with the Diesel Jetta, assuming that diesel fuel is $3.50 per gallon. "Over five years, that's a $2,050 in fuel savings," Omotoso says.

So let's say you buy a diesel car that costs $1,600 more than a gas-powered car, you'll save $450 over five years -- but that's assuming that you're buying one of the least expensive diesel cars.

If you have your heart set on a new fuel-efficient car, consult The U.S. Department of Energy's Find and Compare Cars section to help you find one that meets your needs and your budget.

Related Videos

Around The Web

Comments - 0

Add a Comment

14 Comments

Filter by:

capnklay

For months I researched switching my 2002 Ford Taurus SE Station Wagon from Methanol to Ethanol. (unleaded to E85) There are only a few differences between the regular & E85 version of my car: PCM, Fuel injectors, ECU & different plugs. The gas lines, fuel pump, seals, rings, etc all have the same parts numbers from unleaded to E85. The myth that E85 will melt the fuel system of a non E85 vehicle is a myth. The cost of putting E85 parts on my car was high, too high to consider. I researched E85 converters that plug into your injectors. They ran about $400 for kits that are completely automatic & sense the octane & alcohol level to $200 for kits that have a sliding switch on the side to manually adjust the setting 'by ear'. I then researched the 'savings' I would get from E85 and how long it would take me to pay off the conversion kit from the 'savings'.There isn't any. You don't save money by switching to E85. My Taurus gets an average of 19 mpg on unleaded & 14 mpg on E85. That's a loss of about 30%. Currently E85 prices vs unleaded prices locally are a difference of 3%. Do the math, there is no savings there. I had read that you can produce your own ethanol for $0.75 per gallon. However, building an ethanol still is even more expensive. Buying a prebuilt one can cost $10,000 to $19,000. Even if you have the plans and build it yourself the cost can be high.I then researched easier, simpler ways to reduce fuel consumption.I found a video by kipkay http://kipkay.com/videos/save-time-money/double-your-gas-mileage-2x/1) check your tire pressure2) get rid of extra weigh: spare tire, jack, etc. each 100 lbs you loose saves 2% on gas3) change your oil, spark plugs, air filter, etc. 4) shut your car off when idling for more than 30 seconds in drive thru's, stop signs, etc.5) turn off your air conditioning in the summer, the AC compressor pulls on the engine when engaged and decreases mpg.6) don't warm-up your car in the winter - idling wastes gas.7) add 100% pure acetone to your tank, no more than 2 ounces per 10 gallons. It has to be 100% Pure Acetone, not the perfumed scented diluted acetone used for fingernail polish remover. However, you can find 100% pure acetone in the health & beauty section @ Wal-Mart. It's about $2.00 per 16 oz.. Pure acetone in small amounts will not harm your engine. It's the same amount they use in bottles of Octane Booster , Fuel Injector Cleaner, and Gas Treatment - check the label. Acetone mixes with your fuel & makes it burn better. 8) I'd like to add a step he didn't mention: Wash your car. A clean car is more streamlined and has less drag, which increases your mpg.

9) I also found that the difference in fuel prices from Omaha, Nebraska to Council Bluffs, Iowa (just across the river) can be as much as $0.10 per gallon. This worked well for me since I live in 'South O' & work in Council Bluffs. The chepest fuel in the area is on my way home. It pays to shop around. Use websites that check gas prices for you. When I followed all these steps I increased my mpg in town from 15 mpg city to 22 mpg. That's an increase of almost 32%. Okay, I didn't 'double' my mileage, but an increase of 31 - 32% is nothing to sneeze at......just my $0.02 worth...

This is such BS. You put a democrat in the white house and this is what you get. When Bush was in the white house and gas went up, we saw stories every day about how much it was hurting the poor and middle class. We saw stories every day about how Bush was in bed with the evil oil companies and should do something to bring down the price of gas. Now that Obama is in the white house, it doesn't seem to be hurting the poor and the middle class. No stories every day about how he doesn't care about the people. Only stories on how to save gas. The price of gas isn't going up because of problems in the middle east. They are going up because we have a president in the white house that is doing everthing he can to make them go up. He has put a moratorium on offshore drilling. He has not been acting on drilling permits. He has blocked the pipeline that would not only lower gas prices but would also add thousands of jobs that we desperately need to get the economy going. Our economy is not getting better. That is a lie when they say the price of gas is going up because of an improving economy. Our economy is expanding at about 1% a year atm. The real unemployment number is over 10%. Funny how it was reported to be such an awful economy in 2009 when the unemployment rate was 4.3% The press was calling it a recession and saying how it was the worst economy in 50 years. Now that our economy is really in the tank, they run stories every day about how it is a good economy. How it is getting better. All to keep a failed president in office. It isn't going to work. People are not living it. You can't convince somebody it is getting better when their circumstances are static or even getting worse.

HA HA HA You know they keep this artical on file so they can run it the next time around. This is our SEMI ANNUAL OIL COMPANY SCREWING. This occurs every two years, usually right before an election, (when congress if afraid of doing ANYTHING.) Here is what will happen.

Step one: The gas is, say. $3.50 a gallon.Step two: The price of gas raises for the following reason ______________. (Add something, war, unrest in the middle east, the Sultan of Burain is constipated. It doesn't matter it’s a lie anyway.)Step three: The price of gas rapidly rises, $4.00 $4.25 $4.50 $4.75 $5.00Step four: After a few months of this the people as seriously angry and start to complain loudly.Step five: The government responds to the people and threatens (threatens, mind you. The congressmen, most who are in the employ of the oil companies anyway, never actually DO anything.) to take action.Step six: The reason (see step two) miraculously disappears.Step seven: Gas prices drop TO $3.75 A GALLON. People are happy and the oil companies claim record profits for the year.

COME ON FOLKS WE HAVE ONLY GONE THROUGH THIS LIKE 20 TIMES IN THE LAST 50 YEARS.

More on the oil companies con game:Let's use our friend BP as an example. They drill for oil in the gulf, pump it out of the ground, load it on ships, take it to refineries , get it turned into gas and truck it to your gas stations. Right?When do they BUY the oil? Oh, I forgot a step. Before it get's to the refinery it is put up for sale (to companies like Hess that have no drills.) At this point BP will purchase the oil,-------FROM BP. So when the nasty wholesaler BP raises the price to $100+ a barrel, the poor retail BP has to pay that high price and pass the cost to US. (That's the song and dance they give us.) How else do you increase the cost of raw material AND MAKE A WHOPPING PROFIT.Here is another rip off. The price of a barrel of oil raises, so the price of the gas you are pumping in your car IMMEDIATELY RAISES too. Hold on, that gas you are pumping has been pumped, refined, transported and stored A YEAR AGO. They charge you an inflated price for gas made from cheaper oil of last year.

There are still a few places you can buy straight gasoline with no ethanol added. Do your own check and see the difference in mileage in real world driving. Don't check it on only 1 tank, do this over a few tanks and see that the straight gasoline gives better fuel mileage. Plus, straight gasoline doesn't ruin small engines such as on mowers and boats.

Gasoline with 10% ethanol added gives me a 15% on the two vehicles I own. That means the addition of the ethanol means we burn MORE fuel than we save. How's that going to stop our dependence on imports? Slow down, drive reasonably, and don't be sucked in by the fake claims that a hybrid will save you money. Also, what happened to Ford's hydraulic hybrid truck they were supposed to release to the public in '09? It reportedly got better efficiency ratings than a Prius. (NOTE TO ALL YOU WHO MAY ARGUE WITH THIS STATEMENT, EFFICIENCY RATING IS NOT ACTUAL FUEL MILEAGE, BUT THE RATIO OF NON HYBRID TO HYBRID FUEL CONSUMPTION) http://www.newtechspy.com/articles06/hydraulichybrid.html and a newer story on this http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/02/ford-f-150-used-to-develop-40-mpg-hydraulic-hybrid-powertrain.html

Hybrids are not only about image and feel-good factors...a willingness to assume responsiblity-which may mean additonal costs-to have a less harmful impact on the environment is the most important factor for Hybrid purchasers. It is a worthwhile expense that cannot be looked at through the cost-savings lense alone.